by K.M. Weiland

The antagonist is usually a physical entity, something standing in the way of our protagonists’ ability to achieve their physical goals and perhaps even threatening our protagonists’ lives or their physical well-being.

Consequently, it can be easy to forget that antagonists are just as important in driving your character’s personal arc as they are the plot’s conflict.

The Two Halves of Story: Outer and Inner

Every story is made up of two integral halves:
1. The protagonist’s pursuit of his outer goal, which is the physical aspect of the story (i.e., the stuff we see happening).
2. The protagonist’s pursuit (willing or not) of his inner goal, which is the emotional and spiritual aspect of the story (i.e., the stuff happening on an intangible plane).

Some stories will emphasize one of these halves over the other, but the best stories balance them.

How the Antagonist Drives the Plot

On the external or physical plane, your antagonist is an obviously essential player. He’s the obstacle that creates conflict. Your character makes a move; your antagonist makes a countermove. Bing bang boom.

That one’s a no-brainer. Even if your antagonist is non-human, it will be a force opposing your protagonist and forcing him to keep coming up with new ways to overcome the problems that lie between him and the ultimate conquest of his story goal.

It can be easy to forget that antagonists are just as important in driving your character’s personal arc as they are the plot’s conflict.

How the Antagonist Drives the Character Arc

Equally important is the antagonist’s affect on your protagonist’s inner journey. This, however, is often something we overlook. When we construct our character’s arcs (if we consciously construct them), we’re too often inclined to create traumas and troubles that have no direct connection to the antagonist.

Maybe George is trying to get a job in the circus and is opposed by the circus owner’s son, who happens to be courting the girl George is in love with. Sounds like a decent plot with a plausibly motivated antagonist. But if we’ve decided that George’s character arc is about proving his worth to his apathetic father (and thereby to himself), then we’ve created a character arc that has no direct relationship to the antagonist. Sure, the circus owner’s son will probably prod George along in his discovery of his self-worth, but that’s only tangentially affecting the character arc.

Two Ways the Antagonist Ties Together Plot and Character Arc

The best way to create an antagonist who is just as organic to the character’s inner arc as he is to the outer conflict is to do it on purpose, right from the start. Before you ever begin writing, take a moment to consider your story’s outer conflict and your character’s inner conflict. Does one grow from the other? If not, how can you craft the one to better reflect the other?

In George’s case, we might want to consider either switching out the antagonist to better inform his character arc, or changing the character arc to better reflect the antagonist’s mode of attack.

Equally important is the antagonist’s affect on your protagonist’s inner journey.

Choosing an Antagonist Integral to the Character Arc

If we’re sold on keeping the character arc as is, we might find a better catalyst for inspiring George to find his own self-worth by forcing him to do direct battle with the father he’s trying to impress. Maybe his father is the owner of the circus and is the one bent on keeping George out of the family business, because he doesn’t believe good ol’ George is up to the challenge.

Choosing a Character Arc Born of the Antagonist’s Attack

If, however, we decide we like the outer conflict with the circus-owner’s-son-slash-rival-lover better than we do George’s current character arc, we might get rid of the judgmental father altogether and focus instead on a weakness that is directly challenged by the circus owner’s son. Perhaps George’s new arc is still about self-worth, but now that self-worth centers on his belief that he’s not worthy of the girl he loves.

Sometimes we can employ more than one antagonist to create different forces of opposition (e.g., the dad drives the inner arc, while the circus owner’s son drives the outer conflict). But consolidating the power of your main antagonist into a catalyst for both halves of your story is a powerful way to bring cohesion to both plot and theme.

-K.M. Weiland

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn.

She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

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_______________________________

With thanks to Cameron Pattison.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by K.M. Weiland

“No conflict, no story” is a rule of fiction familiar to even the noobiest of noob writers. We’re told to pack in the conflict. Make sure there’s conflict on every page. When the story feels slow, just add a little more conflict. Conflict, conflict, conflict — it’s the fiction fix-all.

But is it?

Turns out conflict isn’t the wonder drug we may have thought. For example, let’s consider that last bit of advice: “When the story feels slow, just add a little more conflict.” On the surface, it’s pretty good advice. But, if we dig a little deeper, we’re going to find it’s also pretty problematic.

Turns out conflict isn’t the wonder drug we may have thought.

Your Story’s Conflict Is Broken

Why? Because conflict is only interesting or compelling within the context of the plot. In other words, conflict, just for the sake of conflict, is not only just as boring as zero conflict, it’s also much more difficult for readers to swallow whole. Dwight V. Swain, in his canonical Techniques of the Selling Writer, explains:

[Your reader] demands that your character’s efforts have meaning. They must be the consequences of prior development and the product of intelligence and direction. So, unless you’ve planted proper motivation, he’ll resent it if your boxer, for no apparent reason, slugs a cop or stomps the arena doorman. Nor will he be satisfied, for that matter, if a gang of young hoodlums chooses this particular moment to pelt your vanquished warrior with rotten eggs, not even knowing who he is.

So there goes that random argument about which of our characters was supposed to buy eggs. In the context of our save-the-world-from-a-nuclear-holocaust thriller, an argument about eggs is going to be pointless. Likely, we’re only sticking it in there because we don’t know what else to write. The story has stalled, and we don’t know what’s supposed to happen in the next scene. But something has to happen in this scene and it had better include conflict. Enter the eggs argument. Often, this is yet another symptom of the meandering or goal-less character.

Creating Meaningful Story Conflict

If some types of conflict don’t cut it, how do you know which types are acceptable? Generally, of course, you’re looking for conflict that makes sense within the scope of the plot. You’re looking for conflict that flows from the plot. But how do you know when conflict flows from the plot?

It all comes down to character. And not just character personality, but, much more specifically, character motivations, goals, and reactions. The kind of conflict that drives stories is that which arises from a direct opposition to the protagonist’s goals.

If the presence of eggs in the protagonist’s refrigerator has no effect on his story or scene goals, then the egg conflict has no place in the story. On the other hand, if the absence of those eggs is going to spell doom (or perhaps just delay) for his dreams, that’s the kind of conflict I want to read about.

Often, this is yet another symptom of the meandering or goal-less character.

Subtle or Sidelong Story Conflict

While we’re at it, let’s also note that this integral conflict we’re talking about doesn’t always have to be overt. It could be the eggs in the above argument won’t have any direct impact on the characters, but the argument about the eggs might be symbolic of a deeper, unstated conflict between the characters—one which will present inherent obstacles.

On its surface, conflict is a very uncomplicated mechanism (two people arguing—how complicated is that?). But we must always understand what’s driving the conflict in every scene. What’s causing it? What changes will it cause in future scenes? Answer just these two questions, and before you know it, you’ll have a cohesive and compelling plot on your hands.

-K.M. Weiland

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn.

She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

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_______________________________

With thanks to Jamie Campbell.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by D.B. Gilles

So maybe we look into our own lives for some dramatic conflict to inspire us. You argue with your spouse or significant other. You quarrel with your parents or siblings or friends. You squabble with an obnoxious neighbor, rude sales clerk or whoever.

But sometimes we don’t have enough drama in our lives. Things may be going smoothly and pleasantly. There’s no crisis or chaos. While this is good for our peace of mind, it’s bad for our sense of the dramatic.

There’s nothing like something happening to shake things up. We’re thrown off guard, we lose our balance, we’re knocked out of our comfort zone and lose our cool.

But if nothing’s going on we get lazy.

There’s nothing like something happening to shake things up.

This is when we must truly use our imaginations to try and stir up some drama. What I do is try to picture celebrities or people connected to celebrities in their real lives. Not as we’ve come to know them publicly, but how they really are in their private lives.

What do Michelle and Barack Obama talk about when the kids are tucked in and they’re alone? Does she ask him to rub her feet? Do they argue about what to watch on TV? What is it like to be Sharon Stone’s personal assistant? Does Paul McCartney ever wonder if he or Ringo will be the last surviving Beatle? Do Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore have their own secret language?

What were the first words exchanged between Sarah Palin and her daughter when she learned of her pregnancy? What went on in the mind of the coroner who did the autopsy on Brittany Murphy? Is Kate Gosselin petrified that she’ll never find a man because she has 8 kids? What was the mind set of the guy who tried to blackmail David Letterman?

…Use our imaginations to try and stir up some drama.

What is it like to have been married to Rush Limbaugh? Wife #1 was when he was young and struggling. Wife #2 came along as his career took off. Wife #3 hit the jackpot. What would it be like if those three women got together and dished about life with Rush? I heard recently that he’s getting married again this summer. What goes through the mind of the next Mrs. Limbaugh as she processes the fact that she’ll be #4? Does she secretly wonder if she’ll be his last wife?

Think of this as a mind exercise. Pick a handful of people you like (or don’t like) and imagine what goes on in their private lives. It just might open up some new doors for you when it comes to writing more powerful scenes.

-D.B. Gilles

D.B. Gilles has taught Screenwriting, Comedy Writing and Writing For Television in The Undergraduate Film & Television Department at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for more than 15 years.

His latest screenwriting book Writer’s Rehab: a 12-Step Program Who Can’t Get Their Acts Together is out now.

Photo credits: Graphic stock

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by David Trottier

The first is the outside/action story and the second is the inside/emotional story. To fully appreciate how these two work together and crisscross, we must first understand the motivating element that underlies each.

Goals and Needs

Crucial to any drama or comedy is your central character’s goal. The goal is what your character outwardly strives for, what she actively tries to acquire or achieve. The goal is something tangible or easily visualized. “To be happy” is not a goal. It is too vague. “To cope with life” is not a goal. “To go 15 rounds with the Heavyweight Champion of the World” is a goal.

In addition to the goal, your character may have an inner need. The need is what the character inwardly yearns for, what he needs in life to be happy and fulfilled. Often, the character is not fully aware of this need until the crisis of the story forces it into full consciousness. Even if the central character is aware of the need, she is not actively striving to fill it.

Opposition

For any story to work, there must be an opposition. The outside goal is opposed by someone or something outside the central character. In other words, there is an opposition character trying to stop the central character from achieving the goal.

The inner need, as you might guess, is opposed from the inside. This opposition comes in the form of a flaw. The flaw blocks the character from the need. If the flaw can be overcome, then the need will be filled.

For any story to work, there must be an opposition.

Two Stories in One

In Romancing the Stone, Kathleen Turner has a very definite goal. She wants to recover the stone to save her sister from the kidnappers. This goal drives the outside/action story. To insure conflict to the end, four other characters want the same stone for different reasons.

What does Kathleen Turner need to be happy and fulfilled? She needs romance. This need drives the inside/emotional story (sometimes referred to as the emotional through-line). Well then, if she needs romance, what’s stopping her from finding it? Her flaw stops her. She won’t try. Even her closest friend (her editor) can’t get her to show an interest in men. She just stays home with her cat and writes novels about her underlying need–romance.

The Real Story

But she finds romance! How? By striving for the goal. Through her efforts to save her sister she inadvertently finds the love she needs. Keep in mind that Kathleen Turner is not trying to find romance. She is not striving for a relationship with Michael Douglas. And yet, it’s her relationship with Michael Douglas that lies at the heart of the screenplay. It’s that relationship in connection with Kathleen Turner’s need that touches us as an audience. That connection is the emotional touchstone the writer has with her audience. Like all good subtext, it’s what’s really going on underneath the action. It’s the real story–Kathleen Turner finding romance.

The outside/action story is exciting. It keeps us interesting in what’s going on. But the inside/emotional story gets us emotionally involved. That’s why I call the inside story the real story. Despite the importance of the inside story, remember that it is dependent on a well-structured outside story to give it movement. In other words, the outside/action story gives the inside/emotional story a track to roll on.

Twins

Danny DeVito wants $5 million. That’s his goal. He needs the love of a family, of a brother. The flaw blocking this need is his selfishness–he was abandoned by his mother and now he’s going to make sure he nails everyone before they nail him. There doesn’t seem to be a way for his brother to break through this defense and give DeVito what he truly needs.

At the crisis point, DeVito already has his $5 million in hand, but someone holds a gun on his brother. Although not revealed through dialogue until a later scene, this is the moment where it enters DeVito’s consciousness that he needs his brother more than he wants the money. The goal and the need now directly oppose each other. Danny must choose. He returns the money to the gangster, thus overcoming his selfish, greedy flaw.

In the end, he gets what he needs to be happy (his brother and his mother) and a couple of million bucks besides. The real story, of course, is Danny DeVito finding his family and his true self.

But the inside/emotional story gets us emotionally involved.

The Love Interest

We often read and hear of the importance of a love interest in a screenplay, but the best inside story runs deeper than that. The love interest often represents an inner desire for some basic human need–love, self-respect–that is blocked by some basic flaw–selfishness, pride, or greed.

In some movies, however, the central character has a goal but no need. James Bond doesn’t have a need. He simply accomplishes his mission. He’s a super hero who doesn’t grow and that’s the nature of that genre. The same is true of many action/adventures, thrillers, and horror movies. I admired DIE HARD because the attempt was made to give Bruce Willis a need along with his powerful goal. That need had to do with improving his relationship with his wife.

As you can see from the above examples, the need relates directly to the character’s potential for change. The more character-driven the screenplay, the more important the need and flaw become. At the heart of the inside story is a relationship.

Common Problems That Are Really Solutions

In a great many scripts that cross my desk, the central character’s apparent goal is happiness or coping with life or trying to improve a self image. These are not good movie goals, but they are a place to begin in planning your story.

Ask yourself: What could my character be specifically doing to find happiness? (A thoughtful moment may reveal a goal suggested by those actions.) On the other hand, it may be that the goal, whatever it is, will not help your character find happiness. Instead, it (the goal) may be a manifestation of a character flaw or moral lack that must change in order to find true happiness. (A thoughtful moment may reveal an inner need hiding in that non-productive goal.)

Some writers like to start with the character’s flaw or need in building their stories. Dustin Hoffman (Kramer VS. Kramer) needs to be a good father and love his son. How does he actively attempt to fill that need? By seeking custody–and that, of course, becomes his outside goal. In the end, he will choose between the goal and the need. He will decide against putting his son on the witness stand because it could destroy him. Instead, he’ll give up custody (give up his goal) to truly demonstrate that he has become a loving father.

If Dustin Hoffman’s inner need is to become a father, what is blocking him from achieving that? It is his flaw or moral lack. In his case, this flaw is manifest as a form of selfishness. Character growth is generally the process of a character overcoming this flaw by facing adversity in striving for the goal. But where does this flaw come from?

In the end, he will choose between the goal and the need.

Get Back

The flaw or moral lack usually exists because something traumatic happened to the character before the movie began. This event or series of events continue to bother the character and motivate the flaw. The past event is called the back story.

In Ordinary People, two brothers go boating on a lake in a storm. The boat is capsized. Buck drowns, Conrad survives, but blames himself for Buck’s death. Conrad tries to kill himself. This is the back story that gives rise to his flaw of trying to control his emotions so he doesn’t have to feel. But he needs to feel and not blame himself.

In Twins, the back story is DeVito’s mother’s abandonment of himself as a baby. Now he thinks he’s genetic garbage. In the end, he realizes his goodness. In Romancing The Stone and Kramer VS. Kramer, the back story is not apparent. That’s fine–every story has its own way of unfolding.

In Foul Play –and many other romantic comedies–the central character was burned by a previous love and is afraid to get close to anyone again. This is the flaw blocking the need to love again.

Another benefit of integrating a good back story into your script is that it gives your character a past and makes him more believable and sympathetic to your audience.

Remember in developing your screenplay, to focus on the outside story as well as the inside story. The two together are like a one-two punch that stands a better chance of knocking out your reader and landing a deal.

-David Trottier

David Trottier has sold or optioned ten screenplays (three produced) and helped hundreds of writers break into the writing business.

He is an award-winning teacher and in-demand script consultant, author of The Screenwriter’s Bible, and friendly host of keepwriting.com.

Photo Credits: Graffic Stock, David Trottier

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

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_______________________________

With thanks to Jamie Campbell.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by Jamie Campbell

There is only one Hero’s Journey, it’s a tried and true formula that has been around for ages. So if we all know of the journey and are all writing to the same format, then how are movies different? Same, but different?

Every time I get a new idea, I have to run through my database of movies, television shows, and books to see whether it’s been done before. Most of the time, it has. But instead of discounting my idea, I think how can I make it different? What twist can I apply so that it’s new? I don’t proceed until I can answer that question.

I was watching The Vampire Diaries recently, yet another show revolving around teenagers and vampires. I’m completely over the whole Twilight thing so I was trying to work out why I was so obsessed with The Vampire Diaries. Then I realised, it was the same but different.

How can I make it different?

Vampires are not new, far from it. They were telling tales of Vlad the Impaler while he was still alive. So the concept wasn’t new so the story had to be. In The Vampire Diaries, they focus on the two vampire brothers, one is a reformed bad boy, the other just a bad boy. Throw in a girl and they’ve got a love triangle to keep us hanging. But the crux of the story is always down to the brother’s relationship – they just happen to be vampires.

True Blood is the same. A sexy vampire attracts a beautiful girl, there is a controversial relationship with a love triangle, and lots of blood. The difference is that vampires are out and proud. They’ve taken the traditional story and placed it in a different setting – in a world where everyone knows about vampires and they openly live amongst us. They don’t go around biting people (well, aren’t supposed to anyway), but rather buy their blood at the store. It’s new and unique, something we are intrigued by.

And not to forget the one that started them all – Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Cue vampires, werewolves, and witches. Throw in teenagers and wackiness ensues. The difference here? It’s not about the vampires but the vampire slayer. We follow her life as she kills the demons and fulfils her life’s purpose. Same, but different.

The show’s spinoff, Angel, is yet another example. Here, the story is about a vampire with a soul, one that broods over his evil past and fights to rid the world of darkness. It still had vampires, still had humans seduced by them, and it still had a lot of blood, but it’s a different twist on the old story by giving him a soul.

I guess I should mention Twilight. While I would argue it has the least amount of differentness, it is still there. The vampire the human falls in love with cares about her too much. It’s the vampire putting the brakes on the relationship, maintaining his grip on a traditional courtship. Instead of the dream-filled human wanting to get married, it’s the vampire.

The concept wasn’t new so the story had to be.

Of course, in all of these shows there is a human girl who meets a handsome vampire guy. They struggle with their relationship, try to fight their attraction, try to overcome their differences, and ultimately fall in love. Yet we don’t seem to mind the pattern. To be ‘the same, but different’, there has to be some sameness.

So before you go throwing away your idea for the next big blockbuster, try to work out how you can make your story different. Twist the idea so that it’s unique and interesting – something no-one has ever tried before. I challenge you.

-Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest spine-tingling thriller Gifted is out now.

Photo Credits: Stock XChng

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by Jamie Campbell

I once read one of those ‘you know you’re a writer when…’ lists and it said you know you’re a writer when your web browser history would get you into a lot of trouble with the police. I looked at my own browser history and there was research on how to block mobile phone signals, how to blow up a building, and what chemical would kill fast while being undetectable. Yep, a little bit suss, but I swear it was all genuine research (I was writing a political thriller involving terrorists at the time). Hopefully I’m not on some watch list now.

So how do we tap into our inner evil genius when we wouldn’t hurt a fly in real life? We find a way. We have to be ruthless and write with reckless abandon all the horrible things that progress our story and make our characters feel a rollercoaster of emotions. A story without up and downs is boring. It will coast along with nothing to propel it forward. Making the audience feel nothing is the real crime.

A story without up and downs is boring.

Whenever I have trouble bringing pain and suffering to my characters, I turn to kid movies. That’s right, movies made for children. I don’t think I have ever watched a Pixar movie that didn’t make me want to cry. As Walt Disney put it: “For every laugh there should be a tear”. Ruthless? Yes. Genius? Yes! It is the sad moments that make the happy ones even happier. They amplify the emotions, making every triumph seem so much sweeter.

Take Up for example. Such an optimistic title for such a sad movie. In the first ten minutes, we watch as two children meet, grow up, share their hopes and dreams, fall in love, marry, and then one of them goes and dies. My tears started to well right then and there and we hadn’t even made it to the second act yet. But I was captivated, entranced by the story, emotionally involved, and all that after only ten minutes. How many other movies could you say that about?

Of course, your dastardly deed has to fit into the story. You can’t randomly go around killing off characters. The woman in Up doesn’t suddenly die for no reason. She died without achieving her dream of going to Paradise Falls, which then inspired her husband to go there for both of them. And then the story really begins.

A character dying is the extreme version, but you can make an audience feel just as much by using other plot devices. Look at Toy Story, remember when the toys thought Andy didn’t want to play with them anymore? Or what about the time when Andy’s mum was going to give them away? Or when Andy was going off to college? Throughout all three of the movies there was a gambit of emotions those poor toys suffered. Through the characters, we understood how tragic their circumstances were, even though they were only toys. I’ve never looked at a Mr Potato Head the same way again.

Your dastardly deed has to fit into the story.

Every Pixar movie has these moments and they aren’t afraid to make us feel. They aren’t afraid to hurt their characters because they know it makes for a good story. And we are in the business of storytelling, not protecting our precious characters. No matter how much we like them.

I remember the first I time killed off one of my characters. She was one of the main leads and I knew from the beginning she wasn’t going to make it but I grew attached to her. I tried to justify a reason to keep her alive, tried to work the story around it, perhaps find another martyr. But in the end, the story needed a sudden death and she had to be it. I had already planned the rest of the story without her, I already knew what consequences her death would have and how it would thrust the other characters into action. It had to be done… so she was murdered. And I cried but I knew the story was better for it.

So we all have to be ruthless sometimes. Life isn’t perfect and it’s definitely not devoid of emotion, so why should our stories be that way? Throw in every emotion you can think of and use it to propel the story forward and make your characters act. They are purely telling the story, they don’t need your protection.

-Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest spine-tingling thriller Gifted is out now.

Photo Credits: Stock XChng

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

:: Conflict and ‘The Social Network’
:: Major Characters + Moral Problems
:: Meet the Reader: How I Do What I Do
:: Screenplay Review: Shangri-La Suite
:: Screenplay Review: 2

Script Perfection

:: Podcast: Creative Destiny Coach/Screenwriter Jenna Avery
:: Rewriting Your Script – A Checklist
:: 3 Keys to Succeeding as a Writer
:: Screenwriting Website of the Week: Simply Scripts
:: Interview: Kim Krizan on Writing, Creativity and Channeling Your Inner Femme Fatale
:: Researching Your Scripts

Pitching & Selling

:: Offer Up Your Pitching Advice
:: 5 Questions with LaToya Morgan
:: The Scoggins Report: September 2012 Spec Market Roundup
:: The Art of the Hollywood Pitch
:: Happily Ever After… or Not?

Best of the Rest

:: Rum, Guns and Cigars Part 3
:: The Power of Story Presentation
:: What do Hollywood’s Tope Dogs Have in Production?
:: 5 Hollywood VO Artist in One Car
:: Community Service for Screenwriters
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With thanks to Jamie Campbell and Brooke Trezise.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au